Photo By Lori Stewart | General George Washington, 1780 oil painting by Charles Willson Peale (Colonial...... read more read more
by Lori S. Stewart, USAICoE Command Historian
CELEBRATING THE BIRTH OF "AMERICA'S FIRST SPYMASTER"
George Washington was born on Feb. 22, 1732. Earning many titles throughout his sixty-seven years—not the least of which were commander of the Continental Army and first president of the United States—Washington has also been called “America’s First Spymaster” for his management of intelligence during the Revolutionary War. Believing strongly in the importance of timely and credible intelligence, he once stated, “There is nothing more necessary than good intelligence to frustrate a designing enemy, and nothing that requires greater pains to obtain.”
Washington became a surveyor when only sixteen and, five years later, was chosen by the lieutenant governor of Virginia to scout the Ohio Valley to confirm reports the French were building forts on British soil. He referred to himself at that time as an “intelligencer.” Nearly twenty-five years later, when appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, Washington built upon his earliest military experiences to create a foundation for Army intelligence, a legacy that endures to this day.
After a poorly planned intelligence operation led to the execution of Capt. Nathan Hale, Washington began personally taking the “greater pains” he referenced. He organized spy rings throughout the colonies and formalized their operations by requiring contracts and compensation for agents, training, precise instructions, and rigorous cover stories. Additionally, he demanded that all agents submit detailed reports. Emphasizing that “upon secrecy, success depends,” he required agents to use codes, cutouts, and sympathetic stains (invisible ink) when transmitting reports, and he personally reviewed and analyzed nearly every report that arrived at his headquarters, quickly acting upon credible information. In addition to his spy rings, he directed the formation of reconnaissance units; oversaw the interrogation of prisoners, refugees, and travelers; and planned and executed deception operations.
Washington’s appreciation of the essential role of intelligence and his skill in using it influenced not only individual battles, like those at Trenton and Princeton, New Jersey, but also the eventual outcome of the war. And without victory in the Revolutionary War, we would not now be celebrating the birth of the man known as the Father of Our Country.
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| Date Taken: | 02.14.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.14.2025 13:14 |
| Story ID: | 490837 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 32 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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